Chapter 8 : Weakness

*Adrian*

Twenty minutes later and without an apology, William "Bill" Donovan came to the table in a cheap suit, thin hair combed over his bald spot in a feeble attempt to conceal it. He didn't apologize for being late, instead, he gave me a smarmy smile and took the chair opposite me. He said nothing at first, just looked around the restaurant with thinly veiled cockiness.

"The next time you show up late, I'm docking your pay by fifty percent," I informed him angrily.

He shrugged his shoulders and said, "Couldn't be helped. I had things ta do this morning. Took longuh than expected.

He had the most Jersey accent I'd ever heard, and he was perpetually late and money hungry. There was a list of things I despised about the man, but damn it, he was a great private investigator. If the situation ever called for it, I knew that Bill could be trusted to take care of business without any questions asked. He was a no-nonsense kind of guy who got the job done with ruthless efficiency–even if it meant bending the law.

"How about a phone call next time? I have another meeting that I can't be late for," I chastised him.

He ignored my comment and adjusted himself in the chair across from me. I used my foot to slide the bag of money sitting at my feet across the floor. There were twenty thousand dollars in the bag, and his eyes lit up when he felt the bag hit his leg.

"Now that that's out of the way, please tell me you have something good for me," I mused, sounding disinterested.

Bill worked best under the least amount of pressure from me possible. If he felt like he had intel that you desperately needed, he'd get greedy and try to use it against you to get more money. I had learned his tricks a long time ago, and he knew better than to try that shit with me.

"I got something real good. I did some digging, and it turns out that one of the witnesses was involved in a hit-and-run two years ago. They were never caught, but that info may be compelling enough to get them to testify," Bill informed me, "There's also some information about the witness in Jersey that's a little more sensitive."

He leaned back in his chair like a cat who'd just caught the canary. I knew what he wanted, and I had also already planned on giving him a bonus this time around, so he wasn't getting any more than I had already planned on paying him.

"How much?" I asked coolly.

He grinned wider than usual and said, "Twice the usual fee. Twenty thousand should do."

I grinned back at him, winked, and replied, "It's already in the bag."

Bill locked his feet around the bag sitting against his legs and gave me a smirk, "Had I known you already planned on paying me extra, I woulda asked for more."

"I know, that's why I didn't mention it beforehand. And that's why you work for me, Bill. Never forget that," I reminded him, "So what were the details about the witness from Jersey?"

His eyes shifted around the restaurant to make sure nobody was within listening distance, then he leaned forward in his chair, "He's got a thing for sex workers. He drops his daughters off at tumbling on Tuesdays and Thursdays, then drives to meet a lady of the night. It's never the same one. I'm sure he'd do just about anything to keep his wife from finding out."

I stood and extended my hand, signaling the end of the meeting. "If anything else comes up, you have my number. Thanks, Bill."

He weakly shook my hand, and I left him sitting at the table. I had the extra push to get two of the witnesses to testify against MID, and the others were squeaky clean, so I'd have to find a different way to get through to them. I needed to get back to my house to change my clothes before I headed off for my next meeting with Ms. Rebecca Morgan, an MID corporate executive.

***

Rebecca sat down opposite me and crossed her legs. Her rich, auburn hair cascaded down her shoulders, framing her exquisite face. She exuded sex appeal from her every pore, and she wore the most exquisite designer clothes that money could buy.

She had an air of confidence about her that was undeniable. When she spoke, she spoke with authority and power. It was obvious that Rebecca was accustomed to getting whatever she wanted as soon as she asked for it, and I could feel the charisma radiating off of her like waves of heat. She leaned forward slightly so that our eyes met, and, under the surface, I recognized the predatory streak that was hiding under the surface. This woman was a shark.

She smiled a coy smile that made me realize just how dangerous this woman truly was; there was something sinister behind those inviting eyes. I cleared my throat to gather myself before I began speaking to the beautiful, yet devious creature before me.

"Ms. Morgan," I began, "It's lovely to finally meet you. My name is Adrian Chase."

I went to shake her hand, but she held it up as if she expected me to kiss it. She bent her slim wrist and exposed her expensive jewelry and perfectly manicured fingernails. I held eye contact as I leaned down and lightly pressed an open mouth kiss to the back of her hand. Two could play in this game.

"Adrian, I'm so glad our schedules finally lined up. I've been dying to meet you. You have quite the reputation in the D.C. area," she replied, and I was nervous that she was already bringing up my reputation within the law world. She wasn't supposed to know about the lawsuit or my involvement yet. Only that I wanted to speak with her in vague terms about pharmaceutical companies.

“I hope my reputation isn’t going to run you off before we’ve even begun to talk. I have many questions for you, Rebecca,” I tried to put every ounce of charisma I had into the words as I spoke to her. I needed to nab her, hook, line, and sinker if I was going to get anything valuable from her.

She gave me a long look, and I swear I could see the fire dancing in her almost obsidian eyes, “Oh, Adrian. It takes much more than a dark cloud hovering overhead to scare me. I didn’t get where I am today by being afraid of men in powerful positions,” she leaned forward and crossed her arms to make the valley of exposed skin beneath her breasts more pronounced.

I had agreed to meet her in her apartment to make sure she was more forthcoming during our meeting. Rebecca had one of the most luxurious apartments in D.C. Ornate furniture filled the room, and the walls were adorned with expensive paintings from renowned European painters.

The floors were a checkerboard of exquisite marble tiles, and it covered every windowsill with fresh flowers that gave off a delightful aroma. A grand piano stood in one corner, and I noticed a pair of French doors leading to what appeared to be an outdoor terrace. Opposite the sofa was a large entertainment center with several flat-screen TVs mounted on it.

A sparkling crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling like a sparkling diamond necklace while glowing sconces lit up the hallway leading into other rooms within her apartment. Every piece of furniture had its own unique story - handcrafted antiques from Italy, custom-designed pieces from France, each one chosen by Rebecca herself with her discerning eye for beauty and quality craftsmanship.

Her kitchen was also stunning; black marble countertops were complemented by stainless steel appliances and high-end cabinetry that housed all of her gourmet cooking supplies. The dining area featured an ornate mahogany table surrounded by plush leather chairs.

She saw me admiring her place and smiled. “I am glad you like what you see.” Those words had double intentions. “By the way, thank you for meeting me here instead of at the office. My colleagues don’t handle outside lawyers well. They’d shit themselves if they knew I was speaking to you without representation.”

That was my cue; I had to make sure that she felt comfortable enough with me to talk openly about MID. I laughed and said, "I'm all the representation you need, trust me."

"I'm still unsure what your end goal is. What are you hoping to gain from this conversation, Adrian? I'm not sure I have anything of substance to offer," Rebecca mused, slyly scooting toward me on the plush couch we were seated on. As she moved, her skirt inched up her thighs, exposing the black lace garters she was wearing.

I pretended to show interest in her by raking my eyes over her legs and chest, "I'm working on an enormous case against one of your competitors. I need ideas on where to look for holes in their armor. I'm hoping you can shed light on how big pharma companies operate and what sort of illegal activities they may be involved in, all hypothetical of course."

Rebecca laughed and shook her head, "Ah, Adrian, you're asking me to be a rat. You know that's not something I can easily do." She leaned back into the sofa and crossed her legs, "But yes, hypothetically speaking, if a company wanted to get ahead, they could certainly engage in some unscrupulous activities. For example, bribing FDA agents to speed up drug trials or faking data from those same drug trials. There are countless ways to manipulate the system for personal gain; it's just a matter of finding the right people and offering them the right payment."

She continued as she eyed me hungrily. "The larger companies have even been known to use their influence to force smaller competitors out of business by any means necessary. Undercutting prices and stealing confidential information are two tactics that have been used successfully in the past. That type of corporate sabotage is illegal but, unfortunately, there's not much anyone can do other than file a lawsuit against them, which often leads nowhere."

My only goal for today was to get her to talk, and I was willing to do whatever it took. Rebecca wasn’t a person to me, she was an obstacle. A challenge. And I had figured out what I needed to do. I leaned closer to Rebecca and slid my hand up her thigh, stopping just short of the skin above her garters, "What about MID? Do you engage in any of these activities? I've always had a thing for women who get what they want."

Rebecca's eyes widened, and her breathing stuttered at my touch. She almost moaned, "Wouldn't you like to know, Adrian?"

I needed more information, and I knew how to get it. She licked her lips and leaned into me, pressing her chest against my side. I leaned close to Rebecca and whispered across her cheek, "I do want to know, Rebecca. Tell me."

"I think you already know, don't you?" Rebecca replied in a low, husky voice. She turned her head to me and gently ran her hand across my cheek to press her hot lips against mine. I turned at the last second, turned off by the idea of this snake poisoning me with her venom. I hid my face by leaning even closer against her and pretended I had been going in to bite her on the shoulder.

Her body molded against my own, and I felt her hips press against my thigh. I couldn't help but smile against her skin; I knew that I had her hooked. She was ready to do whatever I said if it meant she could continue feeling my hands on her body.

I could fuck her, make her come, and satisfy my own needs. She was ready to give her power to me because I discovered her weakness; power only recedes to more power.

But Amelia’s face flashed in my mind, and I cursed myself for it. No matter what, though, I wasn’t going to let Rebecca’s willingness to let me take control of her go to waste.

I let my hand move higher up her leg until it reached the hem of the short skirt she was wearing. I didn't hesitate as I slipped my hand underneath and slid it up her silky thigh until my hand reached the edge of her panties. With a quick yank, I ripped the fabric and exposed her hot, wet cunt to the cool air of her apartment.

Rebecca gasped and her eyes closed as I began to rub my fingers against her delicate flesh. I pressed firmly against her clit, increasing the pressure until she moaned with pleasure. I moved my hand and slipped two fingers inside of her, teasing every inch of her tight walls with expert precision. Rebecca's body shivered beneath me, and soon enough she was panting eagerly as she begged for more.

I stopped abruptly, "Now, tell me. Are you a bad girl?"

Rebecca's eyes widened, and she looked up at me with a passionate intensity. She licked her lips, playing coy as she replied breathlessly, "Yes... yes, I am."

I shoved my fingers roughly back inside her and assaulted her G-spot. Her eyes rolled back in her head, and I asked, "How bad are you, Rebecca?"

"I'm as bad as you need me to be," she gasped, her walls squeezing around my fingers.

I stopped my fingers once more and she growled in frustration, bucking her hips to try and manipulate my hand for friction. I whispered into her ear, "Tell me what I want to know."

"Fancy dinners, extravagant gifts, money, power. They name their price, and I make their dreams come true. Anyone who stands in our way is given whatever they want to make sure our meds are pushed through," Rebecca whined.

My fingers thrust into her hard and fast now and I used my thumb to apply pressure to her clit. Rebecca let out a guttural cry of pleasure as I brought her to the edge and then over it. She screamed her release against my neck as her orgasm tore through her.

"You see," I said calmly, running my fingers through her hair soothingly, "You're more than bad enough.”